Turkey: Syrian missile took down plane

A Turkish warplane that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in June was shot down by a Syrian missile, Turkish officials charge in an official report. The missile did not actually hit the plane, said the report issued Wednesday by the Turkish Chief of General Staff Military Prosecutor's Office, Hurriyet Daily News reported. Syrian authorities insist they shot down the plane on June 22 within Syrian air space with anti-aircraft guns as the plane flew at an altitude of 100 meters. The military prosecutor's report refuted the Syrian assertions. It said damage to the plane did not appear to have been caused by artillery fire. However, traces of a material used in missiles were found on the plane. "Parts of the retrieved plane wreck were given a metallurgic examination, and traces of potassium chlorate, which is used as an oxidizing agent in missile fuels and as the main substance in missile warheads, were found splashed on the plane's fuselage," the report said. The prosecutor's office said the plane was shot down in international waters of the Mediterranean. The report said the missile detonated just behind and to the left of the plane, causing pilots to lose control of the plane. There was no indication of technical problems with the plane, the report said. The bodies of the pilots were never found.